Distilling apparatus for kelp and the like.



' I. CFW. STANLEY.

DlSTltUNG APPARATUS FOR KELP AND THE LIKE.

APPUCATlON FILED MAR 1. 9X6.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

JOHN C. W. STANLEY, OF SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA.

' DISTILLING APPARATUS FOR KELP AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed March 7, 1916. Serial No. 82,678.

To all whom it may concern Be it known. that I, JOHN C. W. STANLEY,

"a subject of Great Britain, residing at Santa Cruz, in the county of Santa Cruz, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Distilling Apparatus for Ke p and the like, of which the ollowing is a s ecification.

his invention relates to an apparatus for the destructive distillation of organic matter and the recovery of the volatile constituents therefrom.

Although I have described my invention as it is used for the destructive distillation of kelp or the like, it will be understoodlthat my device may be used for distillation of any organic matter, such as kelp, wood or sawdust, peat, lignite, tannery waste, etc.

It is an object of this invention to provide an efii'cient apparatus in which destruc tive distillation may be continuously carried on in the absence of air and without any contaminating influences; so that the material may be constantly introduced to the apparatus and the solid and gaseous final products may be constantly withdrawn therefrom.

There are many minor objects of this invention, the accomplishment of which is set forth in specific form in the following specification, wherein I explain a preferred form 1 of apparatus embodying my invention reference being bad to the accompanying ra wings, in whichr Figure-1 is a plan, partially in section, of my im roved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a longitudina elevation and section taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig). 1' Fig. 3 is a section taken as indicated y line 3-3 on Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail section of a ortion of the apparatus taken as indicated y line 4-4 on Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a suitable furnace housindg constructed referabl with exterior an interior wal s 11 and 2, the interior wall being 'made of fire transverse dividin 'wall 16, the tubes 15 passing directly t rough this wall. This centre dividin wall 16 completely separates one end 0, the furnace from the' other, virtually making two distinct furnace'spaces within the same housing. There are two combustion spaces 17 one on each side of the dividing wall 16 a fire door 18 providmg access to each 0 the combustion chambers. The combustion chamber 17 is below the tubes 15. The flame and heated aes travel from the combustion chamber 1 under the tubes 15 horizontally back and around the rear end of a vertical bailie wall 19, as indicated by the dotted line arrows in. Fig. 1, and then the heated gases travelupwardly through an openin 20 to the upper side of the tubes 15 an thence they travel rear'wardly through space 25 a ain over the tubes as indicated by the full ine arrows in Fi 1 and again around the vertical'baiile we] 19 through space 25, and then through the opening 21- into the stack 22. At the back part of the combustion chamber 17 there is a vertical baiiie wall 23; and the chamber 17 on the opposite side of the bafiie wall 19 from the combustion chamber has a fioor 24 higher than the floor of the combustion chamber, so that the cooling and contracting gases of combustion are kept up against the tubes 15. The spaces 25 and 25" above the tubes 15 are again smaller so that the ates Me constantly opt in contact with the tubes to transmit their heat thereto.

As hereinbefore stated, the whole furnace contains two of the indi id furnaces and combustion chambers thus described and these furnaces keepthe'tubes and their contents at as nearly a uniform temperature throughout as possible; so that the kel or other material may be kept at a uni orm temperature, said temperature bein predetermined to thorough y destructive y distil the kelp, or other material.

The tubes- 15 are preferably arranged in horizontal grouping, as shown; and one or more groups may be used, as desired. Th tubes 15 join at their ends with boxes 30 and 30. These I mice are of practically duplicateconstruction, and th section 01: one is shown in Fig.4. The to s-a're joined to the inner faces of the boxes as is shown in Fig. 1, being held thereto by anysuitable meansflr suitable asbestos or other gasket may bedz'htrodixced to make a tight ioint under the conditions of temperature imposed.

Extending through each of the tubes and into and through the boxes I provide convcyer shafts 31, which may all be 0 erated by gears from a single drivin sha t 32 at one end of the furnace, this riving shaft being 01 u'at ii by suitable means.

The shafts are journaled in bearings 29 on the outer sides or walls of the boxes, where they are kept comparatively cool. It will be noted that the outer sides of the boxes are com letely erte'rior of the furnace. The shafts all revolve in the same direction, as indicated in Fig. 4; each shaft has a spiral conveyor 35 fitting within the tube so as to move the material in the tube longitudinally thereof. The conveyors are arranged alternately of opposite pitches so as to move "the material in alternate tubes in opposite directions. The direction of movement of material through the tubes is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.,

The material is introduced through the feeder 40, shown in Fig. 4. This feeder preferably comprises a cone shaped hopper 41 in which I arrange a cone shaped spiral feeder 4:3, or other suitable device, upon a shaft 43 rotated by any suitable means, as

through gears 44. from a driving shaft 45. This feeder is operated to feed raw material into one end of the box 30 directly over one end. of the spiral convcyer35 at that end of the box. The feeder construction is such as to prevent access of air to the box and to the tubes. The material drops down onto the conveyor 35 and is immediately and continuouslv carried rearwardly through. the tube 15 toward the box 30. When the apparatus is in full operation the tubes are kept t a constant high temperature; and the entering material is immediate]; carried into the highly heated tubes and is itself imm'ediately heated to the constantly maintained temperature. A partition 46 prevents the material which drops from the feeder from passing over to the next conveyor through the box; although it will be noticed that this partition does not extend to the top of the box. The material is carried .to the rear end of the first tube 15 into one eiid of the other box 30; The spiral screw convever 35 does not extend into the box 30 at this end, but I place on the shaft in the box a paddle 47 which rotates with ,the shaft and acts to kick the material transversely over into the next compartment of this box and into the next screw conveyer 35. A partition 46 prevents the material being kicked transversely past the next conveyor. This next screw conveys-r pitches oppositely to the first one and carries the material forw.--rdly to the front box 30 at the other end of the tubes .15.

At the forward end of the second shaft 31 there is a paddle 47, as shown in the section of Eig. 4, which acts. to kick the material over the low divide 4-0 in the bottom of the box into the next compartment of the box, where the material is picked up by the next conveyer 35 and is moved rearwardly through the next tube 15, being kicked over transversely by the paddle 47 in the rear box, whence it is carried forward by the conveyor 35 through the last tube 15 again to the forward box 30. In the forward box 30 opposite the point of. discharge of the last conveyor I provide a discharge tube or: the like, 50, through which the remaining solid matter finally passes. The character and (uantity of this remaining; solid mate rial epcnds upon the nature of the initial an the tubes 15 only partially filled with solid Qt:

material, so that the gases generated may find exit at the ends of the tubes and thence into the box 30, whence they may flow through gas outlets to any desired point.

But it is a'pointin my apparatus that the 9.5

gases are not ms-sod out immediately upon generation but pass first through the tubes to their ends and to the boxes and thence out. The gases are generated in the tubes, not in the boxes, for the tubes are kept at high tem- 109 peratnre while the boxes are comparatively cool.

It will be non-vi that the boxes are not at all within the furnare interior and that the end Walls 10 and top 10 of the furnace 11 3 housing are cut away for placement of the boxes, so that the boxes are exposed to the exterior air to keep them cool., The gases in the boxes are therefore falling rather than rising in temperature; and. also, as has 1 10 been saidbefore, the journal boxes 29 are kept cool. to keep up a proper tenqierature in the tubes 15 to obtain eflicient distillation. The gases may be used as fuel for the furnaces or they may be used as fuel for internal combustion engines, or as illuminating gas. For some purposes they may be enriched with oil, hydro-carbon or water or water-vapor,

which may be introduced through a small" pipe 56 into one of the boxes 30 to. act and mingle with the gases evolved. I find that,

in some'cases, as inltl e treatment of seaf weed or other organic matter, the addition; a of water or water-vapor assists and acceler E5 ates the elimination of the volatile constituents from the apparatus. The discharge spout 50 may have an outwardly opening gate 60 held norinall --closed by-the weight or other means, as i-lustrated at 61, winch-1'30 All these. provisions enable me gate will open to allow the outward passage of the solid products or will close to prevent inward passage of air. Constituents of value in help, or other organic matter are contained in the solid, matter finally disclmrged: :tllc'i this solid matter may be treated. in any desired mannerto separate out the valuable ports. 7

Having now described the preferred form of my invention 1 claim:

1. In an apparatus for destructive distillation, the combination of a furnace, boxes arranged one at on b end of the furnace, a plum ity of intending longitudinally of and through the furnace and communieating at opposite ends .with 'said boxes, means to move material back and forth through said tul-ies between the said boxes, means to introduce material to be distilled into one of said boxes at the end of one of saidtubes, means to discharge solid material from one of said boxes at the end of another,

. communication of the several tubes with the boxes, and said. boxes being open above said partitions to allow free passage of gases.

2. In an apparatus for destructive distillation, a furnace, a air of boxes arranged one at each end of t e furnace, a plurality of tubes arranged in a common horizontal plane alongside of each other longitudinally of and through the furnace and communicating at their opposite ends with said boxes, means for carrying material back and forth between the boxes through the tubes, said means eml'iodying: spiral screw conveyors one in eachof said tubes and means to rotate said conveyors all in the same direction, the conveyors in adjacent t es being pitched in opposite directions so t t material may be carried in opposite directions between the boxes in adjacent tubes, means for feeding material to be distilled into one of said boxes over the end of one of said conveyors, a

paddle at the other end of said conveyor adapted to move the material from that end of the said conveyor transversely over to the conveyor in the next adjacent tube, vents for gases from said boxes, and discharge moans for the final solid product at the end of the tube through which the material is last conveyed.

3. In an apparatus for destructive distillation, a. furnace a pair of boxes arranged one at each end of the furnace, a plurality of tubes arranged in a common horizontal plane alongside of each other longitudinally of and through the furnace and communieating at their opposite ends with said boxes, means tor carrying material back and forth between the boxes through the tubes, said means embodying s 'ral screw conveyors one in each of said to s and means to rotate said conveyors all in the same direction, and hearings or said conveyors in the outer walls of said boxes, and said boxes being arranged with theirv outer walls exterior of the furnace so that the boxes and said bearings may be kept comparatively cool, the conveyers in adjacent tubes beingpitched in opposite directions so that material may be carried in opposite direotioneibetween the boxes in adjacent tubes, means for feeding material tobedistilled into one of said boxes over the; end of one of-said conveyors, a paddle at the other end of said conveyor ado ted to move the material from that end 0 the said com-e er transversely over to the conveyer in t o next adjacent tube, vents for uses from said boxes, and discharge means l ar the final solid roduct at the end of the tube through whic. the material is lost convcyed.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 25th day of February 1916.

J. C. W. STANLEY.

/Vitnesses James T. BARKELEW, Enwoon H. Banxnmw. 

